SANDESTIN TRI

Another week under my belt.

I am starting to feel some of the aches and pains associated with Ironman training  -- other than the left foot issue I had when I started up.  It's a funny thing... I seem to forget about the left foot when my right hip aches and right heel stings and burns!!  I am pretty sure it's all about tight muscles, at least the heel/plantar fasciatis is for sure.  The hip is still a mystery, but I am hoping it is just some allignment issues over the period of time I have been running since my Boston Marathon injury.  Whatever the cause, I am constantly managing the aches and pains, making sure I roll through them carefully so they don't tun into something bigger and untimately stop me. 

This is the dance of endurance training.  We all do it and it's a slippery slope. The main goal is to get to the starting line healthy and ready to go.  It becomes a lot more difficult the older we get, but it's all doable so long as you pay attention and fork out the $ for the appropiate thearipies...like massage.

So, this weekend brings me back to Destin for the Sandestin Triathlon.  (do I hear an "aw shucks"?  LOL, maybe not) This is by far one of my all time favorite races - fun, sun, beach, drinks, and good times...the race is just a good excuse to come back to the beach and take part in a crazy post race pool party.

Dinner at Stinky's

We arrived Thursday, grabbed and awesome (and let me repeat this - it was AWESOME) grilled chicken sandwich at Maguire's then it was time to get checked in and hit the beach for a 2.5k swim in the Gulf of Mexico.  The water was absolutely gorgeous - calm and not too cold, LOTS of fish, a little seaweed, and a few stingrays.  It's  pretty cool to see these guys cruising along the sandy bottom...

After an awesome dinner and and a few drinks at Stinky's on 30A it was time for a dip in the hot tub then off to bed.  Finally a chance to get some good sleep to cure what seems to be a bout of insomnia over the past few days....I slept for 10 hours.  ahhhhh

Friday morning.... Nicole and Deb took off for a ride and I decided to stay back as today, get this, is a DAY OFF!!!!!  LMAO!  My legs are so tired, I have been looking forward to this day for a while.   I was able to get some work done while they were gone, but it wasn't long before we made our way to the beach again...only to be run off by major rain storms after an hour or two.  So, what else is there to do in Destin when it rains?  Shopping at the Outlet mall of course - so that's where we headed, apparently along with everyone else in Destin..  It was a good way to move my legs around, and they did feel sooo much better after walking around for a few hours..

After that, it was off to packet pick up, then a chill dinner and a saints game on the tube.  I was pretty bummed to see how the Saints played, but in their defense - it is still preseason, so I'll give them a break.  I still didn't like it.

The Race:

I woke up early and got situated as normal and we all got set up nice and early before the mad rush of newbies and late comers hit the scene.  Nothing really crazy happened except this one guy tried to put his transition spot on top of and in front of mine right as transition was closing....what a mess, but it all got smoothed over, and we were off to the beautiful Gulf waters for the swim start.

TOP 3 FEMALE'S
SANDESTIN TRIATHLON 2012

I was in the 4th wave with all of the other 40-44 year old men and women - this race lumps us all together which can become a bit brutal at the swim start, but I have learned by now where to place myself and who to avoid.  The start was crazy- guys running and jumping all over the place - I just rolled in calm and ez, thinking to myself "I'll let them all blow up, then when they are exhausted, I'll cruise by them later.  As usual, that played out beautifully.  By the first turn, I was with 2 other guys, then not soon after that, it was just me in my green cap cruising along.  Such an awesome swim, the water was cool, calm, and we could see the bottom the entire way!  By the time I rolled into the beach I was feeling pretty warmed up and ready to go.  I knew I would have to ride pretty fast if I was gonna win this race again at 41, especially since my run would no doubt suffer with my tired legs.  So I was up the beach, into transition, and off with a smooth transition and onto what seemed to be a ridiculously fast bike.  The first thing I thought was "oh no....this tail wind I have now is gonna suck on the way in...lol"  I had a strong bike, and the head wind on the way in wasn't bad at all.  I managed pretty well, got into T2 smoothly and off to the run in a jiffy.  All I can say is I felt like crap on the run.  I felt heavy and slow...but my splits suprised me, so I just kept the effort up.   In this race you can never tell who is ahead or behind because there are fast people embedded in every wave.  So, you just need to go all out and get to the finish and hope it was good enough...  When I got to the finish, my initial thoughts were that I was 2nd or 3rd....

I felt that rotten.  But when the results were posted, I saw this 41 year old chic was on top again!  Another year in the Sandestin Tri Roll!  It was good enough.  Now it was time to collect my stuff, head to the room, change into my bikini, make a stiff drink, and hit the pool party for awards and FUN!

NOBODY KNOWS WHERE WE GOT
THE WHALE

All I can say is that the pool party never disappoints, the pictures say enough.  I managed to miss the mayhem on the beach after the pool, which is probably a good thing.  I think we were all cooked by 2 or 3 pm - back in the condo in bed!  Let the hangover begin!!  LOL!!  Do you remember college and your 20's when you could drink like that and bounce right back?  This is ridiculas...



Later that day, Mel and Rob showed up with pictures and video from the pool and beach that had us rolling in our headaches at the mayhem.. Oh what fun when you can be silly stupid with friends and enjoy laughing at yourself!!

Needless to say, that evening was low key.  I was up early for a bike ride in the rain along 30A.  I entertained the idea of not going since the weather was sooo bad, but I needed to get my blood flowing, and I couldn't sleep, so i went.  Made another friend along 30A about 25miles in, we rode in the rain for another 25 miles and I was glad to have the company in such bad weather.  Thanks Ryker for the ride!   He is training for his first Ironman In Florida in November!  Hard to believe I did my first Ironman there way back in 2003.

After the ride, the girls had everything packed up and ready - so we were off to breakfast at The Donut Hole then hitting the road for home.  Still have a headache, but also still laughing about the fun...

BACK TO IT.  8 WEEKS TO KONA.  TIME TO HAMMER DOWN.

Weekend in Destin

 CHANGE OF PACE, sort of..
So I got to escape to Destin last weekend with Deb for a little fun in the sun...and, of course, training.  We got there Friday, hit the beach with a few cocktails and just took in the sound of the waves and beautiful day.  It was awesome to get away, but as usual, an easy friday and a drink or two can only mean one thing....a headache, and a very LONG Saturday and Sunday!

Saturday, I was up early for my long ride.  I took off as soon as the sun cam up and headed down 30A through Seaside, Grayton Beach, Rosemary Beach, Alys Beach and up to Hwy 98 to Panama City Beach.  It was there I hooked up with another cyclist named Fred who was headed out for some hill work on the bridge on Hwy 79.  I was familiar with this bridge as I have ridden it hundreds of times between all of the Ironman Florida races, Gulf Coast Tri's, and just training days in florida...so I decided to tag along for some hill intervals to spice some things up.  after up and down 5 or 6 times, we were headed back and got to chit chat a bit and made our way back down 30A to Seaside where  Fred headed home to tend to family matters while I hept on looking for Debra who finally rolled out of bed and got moving.  Once we met up, we went to the Farmers market in Seaside to hunt down this granola Fred told me about - and OMG, it was AWESOME.  VERONICA'S HEALTH CRUNCH ...I had a few samples of her granola, and sampled my way through the rest of the market - just enough to get fueled up for the rest of my miles and a solid run off the bike. I got to run the 4 mile Sandestin Tri race course, this time at noon instead of at 7 or 8 am like in the race itself - and oh boy, was it hot.  But a great run nonetheless - faster than I imagined it would be.

After that, it was into my suit, pack for the beach, and get an open water swim in.  It was a little rough out there with the wind, and kinda technical swimming around all the people in the water - I think everyone and their brother were in Destin last weekend!  lol...  I saw TONS of big fish - I mean even REDFISH along the shore!

It wasnt long after our swim that a quick deck change was in order and voila, margharita in hand, time to chill....finally relaxin on the beach by 2pm.  ahhhhhhh

That night, we headed to Bud & Allys for dinner - but I didn't even make the sunset as one glass of wine did me in at that point, and the morning brought a long run and another open water swim, so we headed back to sandestin, and off to bed.  My run the next morning was little to be desired, but in the books regardless.  I was glad to get it done, had an awesome swim in some calmer waters and a little bit of beach time before it was time for lunch and check out.                             Time to head home already...poo

11, 10, 9 weeks and counting...

9 WEEKS TO KONA

I love recovery.  As a matter of fact, I thnk I am super focused on getting to each recovery day/ period in order to get me through some of the harder days. I get to do other stuff on recovery days (like blog, cook, clean, shop), and it gives me a necessary mental and physical break to prepare for whats coming up.

The past few weeks of training have gone well.  I have had the opportunity to go to Florida a couple of times for some training and a change of scene, and I am so thankful for that.  Sometimes, the same ol ride through the redneck backroads of Louisiana can get a little old...so the change was welcomed. 

It's a little funny though...no matter where you go, and how much you can change the scenery, some tings never change.  There are angry people in this world, and many of them happen to drive cars and trucks and don't want you on their road - on a bike or running.  I have certainly come across my fair share of "haters" in my life - the most personally hurtful ones are those who pose as friends at first, then procede to throw you under the bus when you start to see what's going on and respond...but, like many people I try to emulate, I have learned to manage those people, keep my distance, and realize that is not my issue, it's theirs.  All I can do about them is pray for their poor souls.  BUT, more importantly, the "haters" that scare me the most are the ones driving and feel a sense of power over another person simply because they hold an advantage over an exposed human being in their crosshairs.

And it doesn't matter where you are, these people exist everywhere.  Even in sunny Florida.  A few weeks ago, I had a near miss with an 18-wheeler in Port Charlotte, who I happened to follow into his place of business to ask him what his intentions were...lol. Guess what?  He was from Brooklyn, he was abrasive, and told me I was lucky he didn't just hit me.  Oh, and he mentioned that if he did, I'd be dead.  And he seemed ok with that.  He told me I didn't belong on the road, even if it is the law.  My life has no value to him.  That was hard to hear, and by the end of our conversation, I do think he actually heard himself speaking (yelling actually) and seemed a little remorseful for being such an idiot.  He did apologize to me after all....

Then there were some angry folks along 30A in Destin/Seaside who were pretty peeved I was riding on the road and not on the "bike path" which was full of sand and cracks and people walking and cruise riding.  Most people understand, but I think the majority of people just don't think about things throughly, and live in their own ignorance.  I mean, I ride 20+ mph usually - do you want someone riding a bike at that speed creeping up on you and your kid strolling along with earphones and your kid on a bike with training wheels?  I think not.  And sand, well, that's not a good thing either!  I don't want to crash, but I don't want to cause one either. 

To continue on my rant - I was running in Beau Chene back home just yesterday when I actually was assulted with a car driving at me (I was all the way to the side of the road, running into oncoming 20mph residential traffic).  The older woman who was a bit large was waving her hand like she was shewing me off the (HER) road - like I was supposed to run on the lawns on the homes in the neighborhood.  God help me with this one.  Anyone who knows Beau Chene knows there is plenty of room for cars and a runner on these roads.  But this woman was pissed at more than me, but taking it out on me.  I felt sorry for the passenger in the car - what I can only assume was her husband, and old man who has had to deal with this poor, angry, depressed, overweight and unhealthy woman his whole life. 

I am not sure why I think about these incidences so much.  Sometimes I get mad about it, but then I realize again, it's not me, it's them.  I feel sorry for those people.  Especially since I think I might have been one of them if I didn't figure it out so many years ago.  It's up to them to open their eyes and change for the better.  I thank God He helped me open my eyes.  Maybe I think about it because I am GRATEFUL to God for protecting me all these years while I have become a target for so many "haters".  Grateful that I am not one of them.  Grateful that he opened my eyes to see the RIGHT road  - the path to get me back on track.  Grateful for the many many blessings he has bestowed on me.  Grateful to have such a great family and some great strong friends and role models.  Grateful for helping me to keep my thoughts positive even when things may be going a way I don't understand.  Grateful for His provisions. Grateful that I can do what I do.  Grateful that I was able to unleash the athlete within and accomplish what many years ago seemed impossible.

Just Grateful. 

I may not have a lot, but I have everything I need.

SUNFISH TRI WEEKEND

7/15/12

The past 2 weeks had some nice mileage packed in.  It was late this past week however that I began to really feel it.  Thursday I struggled, Friday I took a planned day off and had a much needed massage.  Normally, I would fall right into a long mileage weekend of swim bike run, but I was already signed up for a sprint tri (Sunfish) in Meridian, MS on Saturday and was planning on going up for the day to have a little fun, get some speed work in, and take the rest of the day to chill.  Things have been a little hectic in my life latley with some opprotunities to make some extra money, so my time to relax and recover has been limited as well as my time to be able to knock off and sleep for 8 hours or more if need be.   As an athlete, I usually require more than the average sleep, but at the very least I need the 8.   In the past 2 weeks, I have been limited to 6 hour stretches with an occasional crap (although grateful for the chances) nap in between.  I just have been tired - and like the song goes..."..I'm sooo tired of waking up tired..." that's me these days.

Saturday
Yesterday, I awoke at 2am (yes, I know) to tend to matters before I could hit the road to Meridian.  My legs were tired, I was tired, but thats par for the course.  I thought the day off on Friday would have had a better yield, but nope...not right off the bat.  I made it to Meridian at around 5:45 in time to pick up my packet, set my bike and transition up, and get in a warm up in.  about 15 minutes before race start, I took the bike out for a spin and realized there was a funny noise and the new tires I just put on my race wheels the night before (yeah, I know) felt funny and were riding bumpy - like there was an egg in the tire.   I didn't notice anything obvious though, so I just decided to roll with it.  There wasn't any time to piddle with the bike, and I knew by driving up the day of the race and all of the scrambling involved to pull it off would put me at risk of having a not-so-perfect race experience.  I knew that going in, so I just told myslef - "self, you will just have to ride it, noise and all".  And so it goes...

In reflecting on all the stuff I have going on right now, I knew going into Sunfish it would be a crazy day if I was to go.  Heck, I didn't put those tires on till late the night before, and if you have ever bike raced, you know you NEVER do that unless you are OK with having trouble in the race (you hope to not have trouble...but if you do...).  AND - I was sitting in a car driving for 3 hours just before I was to race...do you think my legs would want to move fast after that? uh, probably not... oh, AND the 4 hours of sleep....shall I go on??  hahaha  But here's the thing...I was OK with it if it happened...it's just a race, fun, a change of pace from long training, and some new and old faces -- it was all good.

So the race was off!! It was a smooth swim for me, then it all just unfolded like a comedy.  It started in T1.. with me not being able to get my skin suit off.  probably 45 sec to a minute.  I couldn't find the string, the zipper was buried, i was dizzy and circling around like a dog chasing her tail....I envisioned ripping and tearing the thing off, but this was no world championship race worth sacrificing a pricy piece of equipment...lol.  I finally got it it.  I thought to myself, or maybe outloud "well, wearing that was a waste of time!"  haha...let ir roll off...

onto the bike...ever feel like your brakes are rubbing and your wheel is a skew?  Whether or not the bike was an issue, my body just wouldn't go.  I checked it out before we started - no noticible rubbing, so I figured it was just me.  The tires still had that egg sensation...whatever.   I cruised, heartrate not nearly where it would normally be for a short race and the ghost in the bike was shifting on it's own, seroiusly?  This was getting comical. (BTW...the next time I rode my bike, the rear derailier broke in half.  Ok, now I know where the "noise" and ghost gear shifting came from)  Oh, and to add to the comedy of the race, since I went off as #2 in the time trial start, I was one of the first targets for the 10-15 dogs along the course to chase.  I forgot about those suckers.  I think by the time the masses in the race got there, they were tired, because people who went later than me only saw a few dogs.  A few scary moments there...

Then there was the run.   I felt terrible, but just gutted it out. Just glad I can run at all, crappy or not.  For me, running fast sucks when I've been logging big miles.  I knew it would, but a race is a good place to work on speed, and so I go and push.
I must say though, my ZOOT ULTRA KIAWE'S were there best part of the day...someone snapped this shot of me with air time headed to the finish!  AWESOME!!!

2nd overall, not too shabby considering...

Sunday
I am writing this on Sunday.  Right now, it's 10:30am and and If I were still out on my bike, I'd be at about mile 70-80.  But I am home, in bed, resting.  today was a wash -  I started a long ride and made it 10 miles.  I'm cooked.  I need to rest a little more, or I am getting sick, or something.  But I am OFF, that I know. 

I don't give in too much, but today, I give in.  this is MY DAY.  an OFF day that includes staying off my feet.  and rest.  my Off days in the past 2 weeks have been jam packed with other stuff.  Not good if you need intense recovery.  Mental and physical day today.  no cooking, cleaning, errands, lessons...just some light chores, a computer, and sleep. 

Sometimes, I get tired.  Who doesn't?  One thing I know about me is that tired doesn't always mean rest.  Sometimes, it means push through and improve.  Make changes.  Don't settle.  Sometimes, I have stellar days when I suck it up and push through.  I don't quit when I'm tired too often...as I strategically map out my rest and make it as important as any other part of my training sessions.

I have had A LOT on my plate these days, more than normal.  A lot of back and forth, time constraints, lack of sleep...kinda like some of the peps I coach have- especially like the ones with kids!  A great lesson for me.  I lie here coming to terms with my fatigue, trying to understand why I can't go go go like I know I can...and I realize MAYBE it's because I've been stretched too thin.  Could my limiter right now be life, and not my training volume?  how odd (lol).  Or...maybe it's because I am getting a little older.  I have a real sense of understanding of that "life" limiter now.  Stress is stess, and my life stress might be beating my training stress to the finish line....which is way short of my training goals. Hmmmm...

And what about that noisy bike in the race yesterday, and the ghost shifting? .... then almost turning around 5 times en route DRIVING to the START of my bike this morning - only to give in and turn around 5 miles into the 100 mile bike ride and go home...I have never done that.  I think I have a hard head...something was telling me to stop and rest - it just took me a while to listen.   my body was cooked and my mind didnt want to give into it.

On the following Tuesday, it began to make sense when I went out to get my long ride in after my debacle of a training weekend and forced rest.  5 miles into that ride, I flatted and found myself stranded without a goofy tool to inflate my new spare.  I eventually got back on the bike after some awesome help from other cyclists passing by.  But, not 10 seconds later, my SRAM RED read deraileur bent over in half.  What on earth was going on?  I suspect it had been cracked since before the race and that explains a lot of the bike issue I had.  anyhoo... I was able to tweak it and carefully get back to the club..only to finish my long ride on a spin bike.  yeah me.  But I got er done.  That rest did me good, mind and body are back on the same page :)